Oldyella66

This boat has an extended bow eye to support the Boat Buddy, which comes with most Mastercraft trailers. The downside is that the longer bow eye would frequently get hung up on the front V bunk on the trailer, making loading and unloading a bit of a chore sometimes. I also wanted to switch the Boat Buddy for a Ramp-N-Clamp, because I prefer the way they work. The Ramp-N-Clamp changes how the bow sits on the trailer though. For example, on this boat the trailer needed to move forward about 1" and the V bunks needed to be raised by about 1/2". I didn't want to take on this project until the new latch was on, so that the measurements wouldn't change much. Here is how I modified the V bunk. Like my other posts, on a scale of 1 (anyone can do this) to 10 (pay someone else). I would say that this is closer to an 8. Unless you have a welder, then I would say its like a 6 or 7. It would have been much easier to take the boat off the trailer for the exercise, but I really don't enjoy that process. Needing to lift, at least the front, the boat off the trailer makes this project a little daunting, not difficult, just daunting. To install the Ramp-N-Clamp: I used a jack to raise the bow, then attached the latch to the bow eye and lowered it into place. This process is easier at the lake ;). Launch the boat, install latch, load the boat. After that our story begins: I measured the length of the bow eye to be 3". This means a 3 1/2" to 4" notch in the trailer would make enough room. My actual notch ended up a little deeper due to where the original weld was located. With the bow sitting on the latch, I measured from the bottom of the boat down 4" to locate the bottom of the notch. Then I used a 2 1/2" hole saw to start the process. Marking the center of the hole, I first drilled a 1/4" hole to locate the hole saw. Now that I'm committed to this project. I guess I'll do some math and make a template. Need to make sure to brace the upright to prevent bending now that there is a big hole in the side. I also put a welding blanket in there to protect the boat from the rest of these shenanigans. I decided that this would work and cut up some 4" x 3/16" steel to match, and clean it up for the metal glue. Tacked in. I added the braces before removing any more of the original structure to help maintain the shape. More of the glue in place: Now to finish cutting out the notch. Not pictured... I filled the inside of that tube with rust preventing frame paint. (Side note, I also forgot to remove one of the discs from the hole saw ;( ). I made a template of the inside of the tube at this point. I wanted to make it look like this hole was supposed to be here. I didn't get a picture of the template. Although, handy finding was that part of my vice was the perfect shape for bending the inner shape. Here it is all glued into place. Then I did some cleaning and self etching primer. It's not perfectly shaped... Remember the only people who will judge your work are YOU and your in laws. Don't worry so much! Quick dip in some blue! Now to add the new bunks. For this I cut two strips of 1/2" plywood down to 6", and then glued them together. I actually did this first, and let it dry while everything above happened. Then I cut the new 1" plywood into the size for my new bunks. After some measuring and careful consideration totaling less than 2 minutes. I cut the new bunks to 7" long with a 22.5 degree bevel. Why 22.5 degrees, you say? Well, because it looked close enough and was a setting on my miter saw! Then I epoxied some 5/16" stainless carriage bolts into the new bunk wood, after some additional careful measuring. This looked like holding it up and tracing the holes on the trailer. Epoxy not shown. I also used a forsner bit to countersink the bolt head. The epoxy is because I may need to remove these things some day. Now that I have two 1" thick bunk boards... I really need them to be 1 1/8". After wrapping them in bunk carpet they ended up being 1 1/16"... sigh. So I added an extra piece of bunk carpet on top. Don't forget the stainless staples! Finished product! For those paying attention. Stainless nut followed by a nylock lock nut, because I worry sometimes. The scuff mark is from the previous owner. They didn't pull the boat all the way onto the trailer and only used the winch strap to hold it on. Needless to say the boat moved some while being trailered. That's a project for another day. I don't have links for this project, because I had all of the supplies at the house. Except for the stainless carriage bolts, I found those at my local big box store. All in, this took about 5 hours. I wish I would have worked to get the boat and trailer farther apart, it would have made some of the steps easier, and probably look better.

I decided that I wanted to remove the carpet from my boat. When shopping we really liked the look of Gator Step / Sea Deck material. The previous owner had an EVA foam material on the platform and trailer fenders. I really didn't like how dirty it got. It was easy to clean, but was dirty the entire time at the lake. Based on that, and more hours than I care to admit, I decided to go with Spaghetti Mat. I settled on VinLoop. I didn't originally plan to post this project because there are a lot of resources out there about it. However, I wasn't able to find any details about how people filled the gaps left after removing the carpet. Only after pics really. So this post is primarily to show how I closed the gaps around compartments in the floor / prepped for the final flooring. To be consistent with other posts... On a scale of "Any one can do this" (1) to "Pay Someone Else" (10) I would say this project is a 5-6. It isn't really difficult but required a few tools most people wouldn't reasonably have and a lot of time. Probably took me 3-4 weekends to work through everything. I intended to start this post before I was finished, but time got away from me. Here goes: I didn't take pics while removing the carpet, because I wasn't planning to share it. I removed everything I possibly could from the interior of the boat. Unscrewed the captains seat and any cup holders. I did break a bolt holding the captain's seat that had to be drilled out . Then I removed the ski locker cover, and stripped the carpet. Then I removed two covers screwed down covering the bilge and fuel tank, and removed the carpet. The cover over the fuel tank was pretty difficult to remove. Ended up using a ratchet strap to hold tension and tapping it with a hammer for about 45 minutes. After those were out, I used a utility knife to cut the perimeter of the carpet and pulled it out. This is where our picture story begins... How to fill the gaps around the compartments? I searched for a couple days to see if anyone showed how they cleaned this up. I looked into building new covers with HDPE, but that was going to be more expensive than I was ready to commit to. I ended up deciding to buy some aluminum and build out the size. I also wanted to learn to braze aluminum (not super easy to get right). Here is the floor with everything removed. I spent quite a bit of time scraping the glue off / smooth. My goal wasn't to get it all off because I was going to coat it in truck bed liner. I took some time to clean everything too. That fuel tank was gross. Look at those gaps? 3/16" around the aluminum covers. But about 1/2" to 3/4" around the ski locker door. Here is how I tackled it.... I found that if I moved the ski locker door into one corner, it was about 1" around 2 sides. I used some 1" aluminum square tube to fill in the hole. I didn't take enough pictures. I was failing at making a good 45 degree cut that day, so left the sides long and got the 90 degree joint together first. I used the better part of an 8' stick of this 1" square aluminum. You can see the aluminum braze on the corner. This ended up breaking later because I didn't get it completely flat. Fun fact, the aluminum brazing turned out to be not necessary at all, but it was a fun new thing to learn. So I had that going for me. Here is how I closed up the ends. I cut them to length and left some hanging off one end to fold up. I then brazed the end closed. Some time with the grinder and a file cleans everything up. My grinder makes me the welder I'm not 😏. After that I added some 1/8" aluminum plate to the bottom, because the door was deeper than 1". I riveted this on. I did counter sink the heads of the rivets to make the bottom flat. I filed some of them flat when I didn't go deep enough. I didn't cut the corner at two 45 degree angles like I did with the 1" square tube, specifically because I wanted to add some strength to that joint. So the long side covers the full joint on the bottom. Ignore my work bench, it gets full when I'm working. Quick test to see if it will do what I need it to before committing to the final product. This is when I decided that I didn't need the hinges anymore. Ignore the fact that the one side is a little short. I sure am. Remember kids, Measure once cut 4 times. or as Uncle Bob used to say "I've cut this thing 3 times and it's still too short!" I then tried to braze the tube to the door, but I wasn't patient enough to get everything hot enough to get the brazing rod to stick. So I ended up (Waiting for it to cool down) riveting it to the door from the inside using 3/16" rivets at about every 4". Here it is in the hole! On to the other panels. For these I decided to start with 3/4" by 1/8" aluminum angle. I measured the gaps to figure out how much space needed to be filled leaving about 1/16" to 1/8" space around the edges. I cut the angle down to size using a bandsaw (Finally found a reason to convince the wife I needed a bandsaw). Most of them ended up being 1/2" or 3/16". I then riveted the angle to the panels from the outside about every 4" to 6". Test fitting before assembly. That piece of aluminum laying on top was what I used to measure the gaps. I used many chunks of scrap 1/8" to figure out how much space I needed to center the panel and have some room left. It seems I didn't take pictures of the riveting process for these. I turned the panels upside down to make sure the tops were flat with each other. Then it goes like.... drill, rivet, drill, rivet, drill, rivet, drill, rivet... You get the point. I used a file to match the corners and other parts of the finish. Want it to look like it was supposed to be that way. Here it is fit into place. Then I used a drill bit the size of the screw heads to counter sink the screws some. That way they wouldn't stick up very much. At this point I didn't like the gaps around the new aluminum and the original panels. I bought some metal filler and used it to fill in the seams. It took several coats because the filler shrinks. After that I smoothed everything out with sand paper Be patient with me... We aren't done with this yet. Next up some self etching primer and truck bed coating to make everything a consistent color. On to the rest of the floor. Spend some time masking things off and making sure everything is clean. Don't want to get this stuff on anything it isn't supposed to be on. I have some on my skin still 2 weeks later. I decided to use the truck bed liner to seal the edges of the carpet from fraying instead of doing it the right way. But all of the edges will be hidden from view in the end. Hindsight being what it is... Should have spent more time getting the glue off the floor. About 4 days after this picture was taken I remembered that I have a power scraper. That would have been handy... Also, look at how much cleaner that fuel tank is! Rolled it on with a high texture 4" roller. Here it is panted and put together. I used some neoprene foam insulation material to build up the bottom of the covers to get them more level with the floor. I also used it to fill the gap under the rear seats between the floor. I also did the two rear compartments at the same time. This is where I got the truck bed liner on my toes Next up... wait. I mean everything really should dry for a couple days to let the truck bed liner cure. Here is the template made. I used paper painting cover. Here is the Vin loop mat going in. Here it is all cut out and fit. I decided to go with 3 separate sections. 1 down the center. 1 over the rear area of the boat, and 1 under the captain's seat area. This way I can access the plug in the center of the boat easy. I cut the mat with a sharp utility knife and the template. It was pretty easy to cut. I trimmed some of the rounded corners to look better with a pair of standard scissors. While I was cutting I angled the blade inwards so that the top was a little bit wider than the bottom, this was recommendations from elsewhere, but I think it helps the edges press in and fill the space without gaps. I still need to clean up the edges to make them sit better but it's pretty close. I also need to put the boat back together, but I have all winter for that. Here is how I finished the rear compartments. I used Vin tile and cut it to fit. I used this because it was cheaper than the other matting and would create a raised surface off the bottom for water to drain out. I've seen a lot of post where people are worried about the flooring blowing out of the boat on the highway. I tow with a full cover over the boat, so I'm not worried about that. Each piece also weighs about 10-20 pounds, so I don't think it will be a problem on the lake. If it is, I'll just throw some kids on top of it or something. That's the whole project. I didn't track how many hours I had into this. Probably about 40-60. I was working on multiple things at the same time. Most of the time was scraping the floor, and drilling out that &%^$*# bolt. Drilling stainless is less than fun, only went through $40 in drill bits that day. Here are some links to products I used, if you want to follow what I've shown. VinTek Grate Tile (I used 18 of these but 20 would have been better) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B084L31Z6J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 VinTek Spaghetti Mat ( I purchased two 4x8 sheets, but probably should have gotten one 4x10 sheet and one 4x8 sheet) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V5X44Z4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pldnSite=1 Metal Filler (I used 2 of these) https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ALDYJI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Foam Filler https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PZTQRHL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Truck Bed Coating (I used 2 of these) https://smile.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-Automotive-248915-32-Ounce-Coating/dp/B0070S7U4Y/ Everything else I just happened to have in my shop already, so I don't have ready links for you.

Decided that for piece of mind I should replace the impellers in my ballast pumps. PO said that one didn't fill as fast as others, but never checked the impellers. Figured I would snap some pics along the way. I also don't think I've seen any posts showing the steps. For consistency with my last post on a scale of "Anyone Can Do This" (1) to "Pay Someone Else" (10)... This project is a "1" very quick and easy. Uses only tools that everyone should have around the house. Standard screwdriver, and possibly Philips screwdriver. I also used a mechanics pick, but only because it was already in the boat with me (not everyone would have one of those). First locate your ballast pumps. On my Mastercraft X10 they are at the mounted on the transom in front of the engine. There are also 3 in my boat. One was mounted upside down and had to be removed to get to the impeller. This boat also has factory ballast. Here is the new impeller. It came with the impeller, lube, and an O-ring. About $27 from Amazon. First step, take the cap off the impeller housing. 3 standard screws. Pull the old impeller out, check the impeller and the housing for defects. Here is my example bad one. The bites out of the blades will reduce the effectiveness of the pump in one direction for sure. The other two were in good shape. Pull the old O-ring, Lube up the new one and put it back in the same place. The lube helps the O-ring seal and not get pinched by things going back together. Also, use your finger to lube up the inside of the housing with a generous amount. The lube in this case it to make sure that the impeller doesn't run completely dry the first time it is turned on. Typically the water will provide enough lube. Then put the new impeller back in. I tried to put it back in the same direction it came out, but since these are reversible, I don't think it matters. Put the cap back on. 5-10 minute project and keep those ballast pumps moving the most water possible.

When I purchased this boat it had a leaking dripless seal around the prop shaft. After looking around I decided to go with the new style OJ flex gland. Seemed like it wouldn't be too difficult to install. https://i2.wp.com/www.ojprops.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/OJ-Props-Flex-Gland.jpg?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1 https://www.ojprops.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/OJIconIpad.png Flex Gland Shaft Seal System - Johnson Propeller Company Inc. WWW.OJPROPS.COM Flex Gland Shaft Seal System THE STANDARD FOR RECREATIONAL BOAT ENTHUSIASTS Introducing the all new patent pending dripless shaft seal system from OJ Props OJ Flex Gland OJ Props has... http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0013/4004/7465/products/OJFG100175_a_1024x1024.jpg?v=1582155516 //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0013/4004/7465/files/favicon_c_cd73a97d-314f-4349-803a-ded5fed6700d_16x16.png?v=1570900873 FLEX GLAND DRIPLESS DRIVE SHAFT SEAL KIT 1-1/8 WWW.MYINBOARDMARINE.COM THE ALL NEW PATENT PENDING DRIPLESS SHAFT SEAL SYSTEM FROM OJ PROPS: THE OJ FLEX GLAND. THE FIRST DRIPLESS SHAFT SEAL THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A WATER FEED FROM THE ENGINE... This project took me about 4-5 hours. In hindsight, on a scale of 1 (Anyone should be able to do this) to 10 (pay someone else), I would say this was a 6-7. I would also highly recommend having a helper on hand. I was probably in and out of the boat 10-20 times doing this by my self, I also got to a point where I needed a helper to hold things. If I didn't have to pull the rudder this would have been much easier. Here is the guy we are replacing: Black hose with two hose clamps. Here is what is going in: gray tube is used to protect the gland from shaft while installing. First step is to pull the shaft coupler off the back of the V-Drive: Not much room in there: First I got a pry bar locked in there to keep things from spinning, and used an 1 1/4" wrench to spin the nut off the end. Next was to remove the 4 bolts holding the coupler to the transmission. 5/8" on both sides. Next step: Out of the boat and pull the prop. Remove the cotter pin. Use a block of wood to keep the prop from spinning, and take the nut off. Well don't take it all the way off, just to the end. This will keep the prop from hitting the ground on the next step. Use the prop puller to free the prop from the shaft. Couple turns and it will pop free. Notice where the nut is on the end of the shaft. The next step is to press the shaft out of the coupler. I actually made a tool out of 1/4" steel and some bolts, but while I was removing the prop I noticed that I could just pull the shaft out of the coupler. Once the prop was off though I couldn't get a good grip to pull it. So I put the nut back on the end of the shaft and used a slide hammer to give it a couple taps. I didn't get a good picture of this step, because I was surprised it worked. Here is the slide hammer though Now, just need to pull the prop shaft a couple feet.... And exactly what I didn't want. It hit the rudder. This is where the project got time consuming and difficult. I was about 30 minutes to this point. My picture taking got a little sporadic at this point, because that wasn't fun to get out. Or back in... This is what we are after, the shaft with the cotter pin and arm attached is the rudder. Should be easy... Pull the cotter pin and loosen the bolt. That white elbow is the ballast tank intake and it is directly above the rudder shaft. That cotter pin was installed by someone much stronger than me. I still have no idea how it went in. I ended up using my slide hammer to get it out. Also the bolt was very difficult to turn, with very little space to turn it. I ended up getting it loose, then using a wood block and hammer outside the boat to pull the rudder free of the arm. About 1 hour later it was off. Now to put the new flex gland on. I pulled the shaft all the way out to inspect it and make it easier to take a picture of the protecting sleeve. Inside the boat. Remove the hose clamp holding the old seal to the boat (the one closer to the rear of the boat, left side of the picture below). Remove the old seal. I used a 5/16" end wrench, but a short 5/16" socket would probably fit too. Put the new gland in and tighten both hose clamps. Push the shaft back in through. I couldn't get the protecting sleeve off without pushing it all the way through the transmission. This is also where I needed a helper. Someone to hold the shaft outside the boat while I pulled the sleeve off. And, this is where I stopped taking pictures. Put everything back together in the reverse order. I put the coupler back on with 3 of the 4 bolts. Then pushed the shaft far enough through to start the 1 1/4 nut. Then I tightened the large nut until the it stopped. Then I made sure all 4 bolts were tight. 45 minutes to an hour to get the new seal and prop shaft back into the boat. After that I moved on to the rudder. Put a block of wood on a jack and pushed the rudder all the way back into the boat. Then inside the boat, I removed the ballast intake hose to make room. Put the steering arm in place with the key in the key way opposite the locking bolt. Gently tapped the steering arm back on. Then I tightened the steering arm bolt until the arm wouldn't move up and down any longer. Then a new cotter pin through the hole and bend it in place. Put the ballast system back together. Check the steering to make sure it is still works and is smooth. About an hour to get the rudder back into the boat :(. I didn't put the prop back on yet, because it needs some repair. Unfortunate contact with a rock under the dock at the lake over Labor Day weekend.

This year I decided that towing with surge brakes is not my idea of a good time. Based on that I did some research and settled on electric over hydraulic as the best option for my boat trailer. Shortly after converting to electric over hydraulic, I decided to buy a new(er) boat. This time I documented the process so that I could share here. Why don't I like surge brakes? I don't like the feeling of the trailer sliding when I start and stop while driving. It just bothers me. I currently tow behind a truck with a truck camper on board. The action of the trailer pushing into the truck before it starts slowing down always makes me nervous while towing, especially in turns. I find them hard to keep adjusted correctly, and most people never do adjust them. There is an alarming number of boats traveling down the road with non-functioning surge brakes. When towing in the mountains of the west, surge brakes tend to be applied the whole time going down hill. This causes everything to heat up and is bad for the bearings. When loading and unloading at the boat launch, the trailer brakes don't do anything to help the situation. What are the benefits of electric over hydraulic? The brakes are easy to keep adjusted, especially with disc. The silly shock doesn't wear out every few years The boat trailer applies brakes only when the truck applies brakes, making for a consistent experience. Even at the boat launch. On boat trailers, there isn't electricity going to actual brakes under water. The force applied by the brakes can be adjusted on the road in the truck. What are the cons of the electric over hydraulic? There is a delay between hitting the brakes and the trailer stopping. This is the time it takes the pump to build pressure. To be fair, I always found that surge brakes have a delay also. I also don't find the delay to be an issue. It's less than half a second. It's more expensive than other options. It doesn't work with every tow vehicle on the road. Requires a brake controller, and the brake controller should be compatible with electric over hydraulic. Going down hill requires you to apply the brakes more often, because the boat trailer doesn't do it on its own anymore. On to the process. At a high level the process is to add the EOH controller and pump to the trailer, add a battery breakaway system, wire it up, and then lock out the surge brake coupler. I'll walk through my steps below. These are the parts that will be installed in the conversion: EOH actuator, 7 way harness, Breakaway system (battery and switch), rubber brake hose, some grade 8 bolts (5/16" and 1/4"). optional parts: Wire junction box, Hydrastar CAM. The CAM depends on your truck, some brake controllers don't support electric over hydraulic. My truck does actually support it but I choose to install it just incase the boat gets towed by a truck that doesn't. There are different pressures for different brake systems. This is a 1,600 PSI unit for disc brakes. If you have drum brakes you will need to research the right pressure from number of axles that have brakes. This is also a marine version of the actuator, it has different seals and stainless internals. First step, figure out where everything is going to go on the trailer. I didn't take a good picture of this, but you'll see my progress. Because wires are unsightly, I added some wire loom. Not mandatory, you choose. I also always cover my loom in black tape. This is really because future me likes a sticky mess when working on wires. The place I choose for mounting the brake controller has a bit of a step and required me to make a spacer. I used a little bit of 1/8" aluminum I had laying around. I can imagine that stacking a couple flat washers would accomplish the same goal. cut the spacer to size, mark the holes and drill. I made the holes in my spacer a little larger than the mounting bracket. This allowed me to move things around some and make sure they lined up. I could also compensate for my poor measuring skills that day 😏. One hole was about 1/16" off. Next was to mount, locate and drill and tap (thread) the frame. Be sure you like where it is, this step is rather hard to undo. I marked the location of the mounting bracket holes using a 5/16" transfer punch. I Didn't get a good picture of this part. Next drill 1/8" holes in all the spots to see if they will work. Next step up to the right size hole. For a 5/16" bolt, I used a 17/64" drill bit. Here is a chart that helps figure out what size hole to make when tapping threads: https://www.lincolnmachine.com/tap_drill_chart.html Here is the tapping process. Take your time on this step. Go slow and make sure it is straight. Don't want a broken tap in your hole. That is mighty inconvenient. Here it is mounted in place (sigh, upside down) Important side note that applies to these steps. All of my bolts are installed with flat washers, lock washers, and blue thread locker. This helps keep the bolts in the trailer frame, but also the thread locker will help seal the holes in the frame to keep water out. Next up mount the breakaway battery, wire junction box, and hydrastar CAM. The steps are really the same. Mark, Punch, Drill, Drill, Tap, Bolt, repeat for each hole. 1/4" tap takes a 13/64" drill bit. I mounted the junction box and cam under the trailer to get them out of the way, but also make the wiring more hidden. Also because I like to cause inconvenient work for future self. Next step was to attach the breakaway switch. The location of this is very important because this is a critical safety component, for the day you forget to fully attach your trailer to the truck. This must be mounted to the furthest point forward that cannot become detached from the trailer frame in case of an emergency. Also, please do not skip adding this to your trailer. This is a critical safety part for other people on the road. The last thing any of us wants is a runaway trailer hitting someone on the highway. My trailer has a fold away tongue. This means that it had to be mounted behind the foldaway part, just incase the folding mechanism malfunctions on the highway. I only had one place that the switch fully fit without covering important information about the trailer. Steps are the same: Mark, punch, drill, drill, tap, bolt. I'm not going to show the pictures, but my next step was to wire loom and and tape everything. I also took some time to decide on the best way to route the wires to keep them as hidden as possible. After that, its time to connect the wiring everything. Be sure to refer to the instructions for your brake controller and brake away system. They need to be connected in a specific way to function properly. What you see will be specific to the system I'm installing. If your system is different it will likely not be the same. There is also a lot of repetition in these steps. Cut, strip, crimp, shrink, connect. repeat for each wire and connection. I also connected the 7 pin harness to the truck and adjusted the length at this step. For my system these are the connections: White: 12v Negative from truck and trailer frame ground Black: 12v Positive from truck. Blue (brake controller): Trailer brake controller from truck Blue (Hydrastar Cam): Trailer brake controller from truck. Confusing part.... There is a blue wire coming from the breakaway battery. This is not for trailer brake control. This goes to the the brake away switch. Both wires on the brake away switch are black. Blue (battery): one side of the brake away switch. Yellow (brake controller): second side of the brake away switch. Important part... Make sure your frame is grounding. I like to use a star washer between the frame and the ground wire to help bite into the metal. I don't know if it helps or not, but makes me feel better. Next up is to adjust the brake lines: I had to disconnect the main brake line at the first brake and pull the line back some. Then I found my mounting location. I mounted a tab that will be used to attach the rubber brake hose to the frame, this keeps the hard line and flexible line from moving too much while driving. Don't want that hard line to get weakened by extra movement. Steps and pictures area little out of order to account for painting time. Bend the hard line using a tubing bender. Cut the hard line to length using a tubing cutter. Double flare the end using a double flaring tool. (This can be rented / borrowed at most auto parts stores). Make sure the nut is on the right way before flaring. That would just be sad. But practice makes perfect! Set the height using the anvil. First flare using the anvil Remove the anvil and second flare Attach them together: Not shown, the other end of the rubber hose goes to the brake actuator. Now its time to bleed the system. Fill the actuator up with brake fluid. I used DOT 4 because it is recommended for wet environments over DOT3. This my bleeder tool. Its an old bottle with a hole drilled in the top with some tubing. I made this thing like 5 years ago and have used it many time times, it needs a new cap. Put a little bit of brake fluid in the bottle, push the tube into the fluid. Then the brake system can't suck air back in while you are bleeding. Bleed the actuator first (Some actuators don't have bleed ports). Turn on the pump by pulling the breakaway switch. Mine is pretty hard to pull out, probably a good thing, so I rigged up an old switch to the system (which will be removed when I'm done bleeding). Run the pump until air stops coming out of the tube. It's easy to see with my setup. Important: do not let the actuator run out of fluid during the bleeding process. If that happens you will need to start over. Although... Practice makes perfect. Next bleed the brakes. Start with the one farthest from the brake actuator. To figure this out follow your hard lines. The one with the longest distance of line between the actuator and brake is the farthest one. Again, run the pump to push fluid through until no more old fluid or air comes out. Don't let the actuator run low. The first one should take longer than the others. Repeat for the other brakes. In my case that was 3 more. OK... The Electric over hydraulic actuator is fully setup and installed. Check the entire system for leaks. Be sure to test your brake controller in the truck. Make sure the actuator runs smoothly when the brakes are applied. It is best to have a buddy help with the step so you can watch the actuator and brakes while they sit in the truck. Next up is to lock out the surge brake actuator. There are several ways to do this, I'll show what I did. Here are the different ways I've seen. Swap the coupler to a fixed one. Required cutting the surge actuator off and welding a new coupler on. I highly recommend this be performed by a professional welder. Weld the coupler so that it can no longer slide. This is typically done at the very front / end where the coupler housing ends. Drill and "bolt" the coupler. I decided to drill and pin my coupler using a factory pin. Here is how it went: First remove the coupler from the housing. You'll need some snap ring pliers and a hammer. I believe you can rent snap ring pliers at the auto parts store. I happen to be a tool junkie. First make sure the coupler is fully extended, and mark where the then end of the housing is. We'll use this as a measure point later. Remove the pins from the coupler: Pull the coupler out Now we need to figure out the best place for our new pin. On this specific coupler it happened that the shock mount was a great place, and the shock is no longer necessary. Pull the shock out and measure where to drill on the housing. (This shock and the spring are going to get tossed) (On functioning surge brakes, the spring is used to actuate the master cylinder when the system is compressed) Note: On my previous boat there was no existing hole to use, I had to remove the shock and drill through both the housing and coupler to pin it. That boat had the more standard A-60 surge brake system. Now drill.... drill.... drill, and drill some more. start with 1/8" drill bit and step your way up. I ended up with 4 or 5 steps ending just over 3/4" hole in the housing. Now clean up the hole. we want our work to look good. Ok... After looking at the coupler. The shock provided a spacer for some rollers in the back. In order to make sure the coupler sits in the housing correctly, the rollers need to go back in. Even though they wont do anything anymore. Since the shock isn't going back in.... I guess it could have on this one though. I cut the end off the shock to use it as a spacer for the rollers. Also a little bit of primer to scare the rust away. Next up: put it back together with a new pin. Here is where to buy the pin.... It's the only place I've been able to find them. http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1202/8294/products/34079_1_1024x1024.jpg?v=1527116237 //cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1202/8294/files/PacificTrailers-P-logo_32x32.png?v=1486072193 UFP Roller Pin Assembly. # 34079/A WWW.PACIFICTRAILERS.COM UFP Roller Pin Assembly # 34079/A Includes: 2 Retaining Rings #32262 2 Washers #32554 1 Roller Pin #34079 2 Roller Pins Required Per Actuator UFP Part # 34079/A Now the coupler won't slide, and it looks like it was made that way. Up next, remove the master cylinder from the housing. On mine the screws were rusted in place, and I had run out of patience for the day. So I drilled them out. I didn't cover the holes left behind. Perhaps a future project if it bothers me. (It will ) Note: On the, more standard, UFP A-60 coupler, the master cylinder is part of the structure. On my previous boat I left it in. If you take it out of this one, then you may need to do some fabricating to restore the structure. OK, project is complete! Not pictured, I also rewired all of the lights during this process. That concludes my trailer projects for this year. Thanks for watching. This project took about 6-8 hours. 12 including re-wiring the rest of the trailer. Here is my shopping list: 1x - UFP Roller Pin Assembly (I actually purchased 3 and replaced all of them. This isn't necessary, but one of the originals was missing the e-clip.) https://www.pacifictrailers.com/products/ufp-roller-pin-assembly-34079-a 1x - EOH Brake actuator https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Actuator/Hydrastar/HS381-8067.html 1x - Breakaway system https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Breakaway-Kit/Pro-Series/50-85-315.html 1x - 7 pin harness and junction box (Quick note, the wire colors for lights may not match your trailer's existing system. Be sure to test) https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/etrailer/e99011.html 1x - Hydrastar CAM This may not be necessary for your system. https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Hydrastar/HBA-CAM.html 1x - Rubber brake hose. (I actually purchased 5 of these and replaced all on the trailer). Depending on your install a shorter or longer one may be necessary. This was a little long for my setup, https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Kodiak/bh-3mfs90ff-1-5.html This kit could simplify your shopping experience: https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Actuator/Hydrastar/HS381-9067.html If your tow vehicle doesn't already have a brake controller, you will also need one of those. My truck has one from the factory. Tools Required (From memory, may miss some): 1/2" Wrench or socket 7/6" Wrench or socket Drill bits (1/8", 13/64", 17/64", 3/4", 3/16", 1/4", 1/2") Drill 5/16 - 18 Tap 1/4 - 20 Tap Tap Wrench 5/16 nut driver Wire Strippers Wire Crimper Hammer Snap ring pliers 3/8" flare nut wrench 8mm flare nut wrench 11mm flare nut wrench 7/16" flare nut wrench Brake bleeding tool Sharpie Drill punch Tape measure Double flare tool Tube bender Tube cutter Rivet tool and rivets (Not necessary) Hand file. Some paint

Over the weekend I decided to tackle a project on my trailer. Recently purchased a used X10, but the trailer needed some love. Brakes don't work, bearings and seals were never serviced, and the trailer guides were a little wobbly. Digging in the trailer guides were broken at the frame and one had been "repaired" with self taping screws and aluminum angle. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/1050879219_IMG_1702(2).jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/1050879219_IMG_1702(2).jpg.5736b4b55c3afecd96e15be6b4d2e02a.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/1427613138_IMG_1721(2).jpg.b490b8ed25e92906ac80ab21226b2c7f.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1722.jpg.f677d09142c3a05e5371dc7ffd09ba84.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/991568719_IMG_1723(2).jpg.7d4433bf48aee14199dd65c885b8d9ac.jpg I'm going to separate the process into a few posts. These are my before pictures. Next step was to make the new part out of the 2x3 square tube. I didn't take good pictures of the first one I made, so you get to see the second one 🤐 I first cut a chunk to match the length of the fender mount. Then I used a hole saw to cut the top and bottom holes for the guide mount (removed in the previous steps), in the correct place. I offset the hole from the center to make sure I could keep that one side in tact. Needed that to close up the box on the fender mount. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1734.jpg.31fbcad40d29fe3aac7628f896797cfe.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1735.jpg.991f84728fc2435d9c76895a0ed227f9.jpg After drilling both sides, I cut a line down to connect both holes, and cut the extra metal off the side. Then cleaned up everything and beveled all of the edges. The bevel give a good place for the metal glue to live. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1736.jpg.2ccccdfd09e726857e5e1cba109a4bec.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1737.jpg.4a641b8d321fccfef431ed774a031876.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1738.jpg.028855b90495e23d4af5f2ff73411cb7.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1739.jpg.82e80618a8a511fd040a0c378fdb33d5.jpg Now endlessly mocking it up and eyeballing things to make sure it will fit the way I wanted. Also added some weld through primer. Gotta keep it from rusting. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1716.jpg.245714462b308c6c72e6184680df6cb4.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1718.jpg.045758df1d7fd7c33a5b953debfc2121.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1720.jpg.0f6c87e1edf868b4b3a3f186e72710ea.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1724.jpg.e2033e20eaf790c91fdbe39964c02505.jpg Put the fender back in place to see if the guide lined up with where he hole was supposed to be.... before the break happened. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1726.jpg.b6c2cc98f9a77d8924234f89969987ca.jpg Now its time to start gluing (welding) this thing together. Look closely at the pictures, maybe you can spot the bonus project I created for my self! https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1731.jpg.30c55f965951eba5f95e3ca149653f31.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1741.jpg.68b97f36855e5d6a41d840b43c0d8c19.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1742.jpg.ba2516e6538c39540834206c5b577705.jpg Finished! .... Well, still need to trim the fenders a little since the 2x3 tube is makes the fender mount a little bit bigger. Imagine a hack saw on some fiberglass and you'll get the picture. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1746.jpg.554a1fd419a63f31f09f72c7c01494bc.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1749.jpg.99b180a38bcfc709eaebf52313b8c162.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1748.jpg.7eb39a986392f8c3d0eef65cc0a54dac.jpg And... Of course you can't just nail it on the first try. After mocking up the actual guide pole I realized I needed something on the bottom to stop the pole from going all the way through to the ground. Can you imagine seeing that driving down the freeway? Or at the bottom of the lake? Also, can I tell you how much fun it is to weld upside down? https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1747.jpg.def2a07848035b06b9e93f40d85e888b.jpg Don't forget to do the other side. Just repeat all the steps.... Well except for one. Weld on the bottom piece first! https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1745.jpg.c822a68565295c3b1b753017f7f5157b.jpg [Edit] Here is what it looks like with the fenders painted and re-installed. This one keeps uploading upside down. I guess you'll have to turn your monitor over ;(

Mentioned in my last post that the brakes didn't work. I was planning to convert to a electric over hydraulic system anyway, so great brakes wasn't a priority when buying the boat. However, I was hoping that they would work some to save some money. After finding out that they weren't working I decided to bleed them and get them doing something before making the trip home. I was near some family, so I stopped by their house and used their drive way to get these things working. It was about 4 PM and I wanted to leave first thing in the morning. Great news though... the bleeder screws were rusted in place. After some penetrating oil and a 12" cheater bar 😬, the first one came loose. I decided it would be best to get them all loose before starting the process of actually bleeding the brakes. Started on the second one, this one has had more time for the penetrating oil to work. Should be good to go! Nope... Snapped it off. No problem, just get it out real quick and I can get new ones at the parts store. Bleeder screws are pretty soft, how much work could it be? Drill into it to make room for the easy out. And you guessed it, broke the easy out. Pull the caliper and take it to the work bench, I'm getting this thing out. Drill out the easy out, then drill the hole out to the biggest size easy out and try again. The easy out ended deforming and twisting the bleeder screw, but not actually budging the threads. By this point it was well after 7, and I was hungry. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1656.jpg.5fabe928efbe17d5afa96818e101d1c8.jpg I ended up throwing the brakes back together, and towing it home without brakes. Just made a plan to replace them when I get home. Hopefully I can get away with only replacing the calipers, and then all will be great. Then I started reading about the brakes on the trailer. More good news: Reliable brand trailer parts are no longer available. However, most current brands of calipers for 3,500 pound axles should fit just fine. I happened to have some extra trailer brake calipers from a previous project. Decided to throw one on real quick and make sure everything is good. Nope, this specific rotor has a raised portion that rubs on the new caliper. Did some research and most calipers looked like they would have the same problem. I could just modify the caliper and it will work, but then that would have to be part of a brake job in the future. I don't think so. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1615.jpg.fa1d1f0071a20b160695c93d0f5277e7.jpg At this point I decided to check some more things. Pulled the axle nut cover off, to find that there was water in the bearings. Sigh, I guess they are getting replaced too. I read some more, and found that this trailer came with oil bath hubs. These have pretty good reviews from most people, but ultimately decided that it would be safer for me to switch it to a grease hub. I tow my boat a lot, and for a long way. If anything goes wrong the grease will allow me to get some place safe to repair, instead of being stuck on the side of the road. Based on that I decided my best option was to replace hub, caliper and all with a grease based system and bearing buddy. I ordered a set that was made for switching from drum to disc brakes. Came with a new hub (with integrated rotor), new bearings, seal, caliper, and caliper backing plate. Everything new from the axle out. First step, get the old parts off. Side note, my photographer (8 year old daughter) was a little all over the place. Start by removing the caliper, two bolts and the brake hose. My bolts needed 8mm hex wrench. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1666.jpg.71c1e3732ba86aa6848c904aa60826b2.jpg Now remove the oil cap, bearing buddy, or dust shield. Mine are threaded and twist off, most are friction fit and need to be tapped off with a hammer. These oil caps are sealed with an O-Ring and should only be hand tight. Well, the were a little tighter than that. Try the strap wrench: https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1662.jpg.babb47b410e73fe352495bb3d860b341.jpg Nope, try the channel locks https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1663.jpg.f5ae5902bd02f5acb76f2749d453db8b.jpg Nope, Try the bigger channel locks https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1664.jpg.0304808d08b4bd823bb5eddaf5c1570d.jpg That's the stuff... wait, that oil isn't supposed to be black. Good thing we are replacing it. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1665.jpg.8b66d6de8d7958533adaa4ac6d9cdc98.jpg Pull the cotter pin, retaining ring and axle nut. Many trailers have a castle nut instead of a retaining ring and separate nut. Behind the nut is a washer with a notch or groove to keep it from spinning the spindle. Behind the washer is the outer bearing. Pull those off too. Then pull the the hub off the spindle and clean everything up. At this point it is good to inspect the bearings and spindle for damage. This will let you know if you have more work to do. Mine were all fine. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1668.jpg.9c6cd5405ca408451c882f47fa067f28.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1669.jpg.35a164e9adcebc60eee26812c0bb7245.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1670.jpg.5922e2b716d0a54cfabb9c074b9c5228.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1671.jpg.88a91bfe8924391acd69da01859284bc.jpg Now pull the original caliper mounting bracket, if you are replacing it. If not, it would be best to skip this step because the next step is to put it back. 😁 If you are replacing drum brakes, Everything before this point is the same. For drum brakes the difference is removing the drum backing plate, which is held on with the same four bolts. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1674.jpg.cbf9af37bd3e94cf95e5a25e78cc3ba3.jpg Clean everything up and start putting the new stuff on. Starting with the caliper mounting bracket. These have a correct direction, mine were stamped with "Outside" on them. Also the bolt tabs should go towards the back of the trailer. Use some blue thread locker to hold things together. (This is where my photographer decided that she would rather do something else).https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1676.jpg.5f5cdd9b123e0eafa351a83048389323.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1678.jpg.4b0540f646f286627388acaeb90dbc5a.jpg Now pack the bearings with grease and put them in the new hub with the new seal. I used a simple bearing packing tool that I found at the local parts store. Larger, inner bearing, goes into the back of the hub and then the seal. Not pictured, I used an old chunk of 2x4 to tap the seal into place. Make sure it goes in flat / evenly, you don't want it in their weird. Tap it in until it is flush with the back of the hub. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1680.jpg.91236e1b2067a93d89969d59cbd4b9db.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1682.jpg.69b04a03a40a2f2924cb64582b32b821.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1683.jpg.f051dbdd3929e14a71864098c677225d.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1686.jpg.4f395856000cfdad93a12cecd03c3f3d.jpg Hub goes on the spindle, then the smaller outer bearing. Followed by the washer and the axle nut. Tighten the axle nut until it stops and then back it off a little bit. (I have trouble explaining this part) You don't want the nut to be super tight just snug. Back off the nut until the cotter pin will go through easily. Then the retaining ring goes on (if you have one). Put the cotter pin through the hole and bend it to lock it in place and make sure it won't be in the way of the dust cap or bearing buddy. I Recommend using a new cotter pin. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1689.jpg.c91cac7bc4dc2083529cb81b17ef367f.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1690.jpg.72a5ac394dd4b67070cdbb840c8bb5a3.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1691.jpg.4827dfa4b06d9900790d88a06d18ebac.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1693.jpg.1df05d5714bd0385c4ae270eb50c9846.jpg Now mount the new caliper. Put the pads into the caliper, there is an inner and outer pad. Make sure you get them in the right places. Attach with two bolts, mine were new and came with thread locker already. If you are reusing the old caliper bolts, add some thread locker. Not pictured, hook the brake hose back up. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1695.jpg.0c98e63edaaa7d405672732002911f82.jpg https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1698.jpg.3eb05d261572f88d71a2ea6e2c05d1c1.jpg Now the bearing buddy. Not pictured, tap it on using your scrap 2x4. It needs to go on evenly until it is fully seated in the hub. You'll know it is seated when it stops moving. Then grease the bearing buddy. Stop adding grease when the spring starts to move. Don't fully collapse the spring or it will have too much pressure and blow out the back of the seal. https://content.invisioncic.com/r268692/monthly_2020_09/IMG_1700.jpg.2ae14420975c118fa2015cddb1d6aa57.jpg Repeat for the other brakes. Bleed the brakes starting with the one farthest away from the master cylinder. I haven't shown these steps, because I'm waiting on the new electric over hydraulic controller to get delivered. Note: If you are switching from drum to disc, be aware that you will need a new brake actuator that operates at higher pressure. For many this will mean replacing the surge brake actuator with a disc specific version. Coming soon, Electric over hydraulic conversion steps.